Taking a Holistic Approach to Arthritis

 

At Balanced Body Wellness Centre, we approach Arthritis differently than traditional medical physicians.

We do not reach for steroids or pain pills that mask the symptoms of arthritis.

Instead, we get to the root cause of arthritis pain and flair-ups. This can be something like a food sensitivity (gluten or dairy perhaps?), an environmental allergy, a stressor (work? family?chemicals?), or immune challenges that lead to chronic inflammation.

The goal is to heal the body, eliminate triggers, and reduce all that arthritis pain and discomfort!

Diet as a KEY factor in Arthritis. Yes. Adjusting your diet may help. We recommend removing any foods that you are sensitive to, as they cause inflammation. Our Health Coaches will work with you directly to customize a diet that minimizes inflammation and maximizes pain-free health! Some foods they may recommend you add more of to relieve general arthritis symptoms include:

• Fruits, particularly those high in vitamin C, such as blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango and cantaloupe melon.

• Vegetables high in vitamin A (beta-carotene) and vitamin C including carrots, squash, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

• Oily Fish rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in vitamin E such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna and trout.

• Anti-Inflammatory Spices such as turmeric, ginger, garlic and apples.

Recent studies have highlighted the role of food sensitivities in most arthritis sufferers. This can involve the exclusion of obvious sensitivity trigger foods. Food Sensitivity Testing is available in our office.  

Managing Arthritis Pain Naturally. Lifestyle modifications can alleviate osteoarthritis and other types of joint inflammation. Some known improvements that you can do on your own could include:

• Low-impact aerobic activity

• Range of motion exercises for flexibility

• Strength training for muscle tone

• Sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night and taking naps during the day

• Stress-reducing activities such as meditation, yoga or tai chi

Recommended Next Steps* Give us a call to get your questions answered and schedule an appointment. You will be delighted by the detail and specific action plan our team can recommend for you (e.g. less rice, more chiropractic adjustments, increased vitamin intake)  

 Healing is a process that requires small improvements along the way.

 Adapted from Best Self Atlanta.